Belt buckle



A. GARAY BELT BUCKLE Jane 23, 1951 I LL gVENTOR. BY M0 M7 Filed June 27, 1947 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The object of the present invention is to provide a belt buckle particularly adapted for use of a horse shoe metal core, generally formed by die casting, and a braided thread covering which is pre-formed, in conjunction with a prong holding clamp in which the eye of the prong has a special centering seat. Thus the covering may be a section of a braided tubing with its out ends covered by the clamp, that is to say, encased and protected by the prong holding clamp. This clamp may be toothed at its marginal edges so that these edges will have an added gripping effect. Preferably, however, the clamp is so formed that one margin overlaps the second margin.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the invention applied to a belt which is indicated by dot-dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation partly broken away and illustrating application of the clamp shown in Fig. 3 to a leather covered buckle;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a prong holding clamp of the form used in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the clamp blank, of the clamp used in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the form of clamp used in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a braided tube, a dotted line indicating a point of transverse cut for severing a buckle covering section.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Fig. 2 it will be seen that the buckle employs a rigid core I which generally is of metal, but which could be formed of plastic or the like. The cross sectional form of the core varies, and one form is half round. This core may be diecast. Its ends are separated as shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a braided tubing at 2. This tubing may be braided in long lengths and cut into sections, as indicated by the dotted line 2a:. The ends of the rigid core are mutually spaced. This permits a section of the braided tubing to be slipped onto and around the core I. The buckle is then ready for application of the prong holding clamp.

The clamp may be. formed as shown in Figures 1 and 5. Referring to Figure 5 it will be seen that the blank is H-shaped, and thus it is formed with opposed open end slots at 3.7:, the blank as a whole being indicated at 3. Referring to Figure 5 it will be noted that the right hand slot 321 may be longer than the left hand slot in accordance with an extended marginal area at 31:21:. This is an area which may overlap the opposed marginal area of the clamp as indicated in Fig. 1.

The prong 4 is provided with an eye to be re- Number ceived by the area of the blank intermediate the slots 3:0.

The blank may also be formed as shown in Fig. 4. at 5. It will be formed with the same opposed open end slots 3a: as in Fig. 5 and preferably with marginal teeth at 51.

Before application of either of the two forms of the prong holding clamp, the clamp member may be bent into U form as indicated in Fig. 3, and then is slipped into position so as to bridge the spaced ends of the core I and the braided or other covering therefor, the final operation being to die-form the clamp into the general cross sectional configuration of the core I, the walls of the clamp tightly embracing the covering. In this last operation with the clamp-blank of Fig. 5, the margin 3x2: will preferably be wiped over the opposite margin, as indicated in Fig. 1. When the blank is as shown in Fig. 4 the teeth at the opposite margins may be brought in close proximity and somewhat embedded in the covering, which will particularly be the case when the covering is a stitched leather tubing as indicated at 6, Fig. 2, or is a covering of any material having fairly substantial thickness.

It will be seen that the prong is always centered relatively to the clamp and that the clamp and prong may be handled as a unit.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements constituting the embodiment illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The combination comprising 2. prong holding clamp for belt buckles consisting of a plate-like member of sheet metal formed with opposed cutout areas centrally thereof, providing a neck connection between the end sections, and a prong having a loop embracing said neck and held against endwise displacement by said end sections, the said plate-like member being bent to form a channelway member for reception of the opposite spaced ends of a belt buckle, as and for the purpose described.

ARNOLD GARAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 714,471 Gaisman Nov. 25, 1902 

